Date:24/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/24/stories/2008062459950600.htm

National

Honorarium for MISA detainees in M.P.

Staff Correspondent

Will also be entitled to free medical treatment

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Government has issued a gazette notification to implement the State Cabinet’s decision to offer a regular honorarium to those who were detained under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency.

Those who are domiciled inMadhya Pradesh and were detained under MISA or due to various political or social reasons during the Emergency between June 25, 1975, and March 1977 would be eligible for the Jaya Prakash Samman Nidhi - a lifelong honorarium. In case of death of any MISA detainee, the spouse would receive 50 per cent of the honorarium amount.

Honorarium amounting to Rs.3,000 a month would be given to those who served a jail term for more than one month but less than six months. Those who were imprisoned for six months or more would be eligible to get a monthly honorarium of Rs.6,000. The honorarium would be paid with effect from April 1, 2008.

District-level committees have been assigned the task of scrutinising the applications and making recommendations. The ministers in charge of various districts would act as chairmen while the District Magistrates would be the Member-Secretary and District Superintendents of Police and the Jail Superintendents would be ex-officio members of these committees.

During the course of scrutiny, it would be ascertained whether a detainee had a criminal record or was involved in any anti-social activity. Like freedom fighters, the MISA detainees too would be entitled to free medical treatment.